1. Field
This disclosure relates to service and policy systems, more particularly to service and policy systems having integrity monitoring devices or processes.
2. Background
Wholesale network service and policy enforcement allow the wholesalers to more tightly control the parameters of their network. This allows the wholesaler to provide better service to its customers and to ensure its ability to meet service agreements with regards to levels of service, as well as provide more accurate accounting and tracking of usage. However, service and policy systems are increasing in complexity and scope. For ease of discussion, service and policy systems will be referred to here as policy systems.
Initially, policy enforcement may have been as simple as a set of operating system commands on a single Network Access Server (NAS) to handle resource pooling. In some instances policy enforcement has evolved into a distributed system of policy processors, Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) servers, reporting sub-systems, and RASER devices (Resource AAA SERvice). These policy systems have evolved into a network used to control moderate to large wholesale networks of hundreds to thousands of NASes and gateways.
As the complexity increases, the requirements of maintaining the policy system to keep it connected and accessible increase as well. These systems rely on being properly introduced into a service network, where all components are properly provisioned to maintain these connections and remain accessible to each other and the governed system. In one example, a centralized database is used as a reference point for all of the elements that have been introduced into the system. However, the elements such as the gateways that are part of the governed system do not register in the common database, so there is not a common registration point.
Furthermore, even if there were basic connectivity and a common registry, a system component may have been installed with improper permissions privileges or firewall access or other blockades to end-to-end system integrity. It would be useful to provide an adjunct to policy systems that could be used to monitor the end-to-end system connectivity and integrity for controlling the larger wholesale network.